Chapter 5 - Demonic Valley (2)

The woman walking ahead didn't make a sound. Watching her back, it was as if a faint afterimage trailed behind her.

I recognized the technique. A formal movement style, yet one I couldn't replicate because I lacked Qi.

The Nine Heavens Blood Devil Circulation Arts' movement technique.

Ghost Shadow Step.

I had to push myself to keep up with her light footsteps.

＂Where are we going?＂

＂The Nest.＂

＂The Nest…?＂

＂Your quarters.＂

She answered all my questions, though her tone remained curt. Her voice itself was cold, reminding me of the 1st Demon, but her demeanor was entirely different.

While the 1st Demon had a gruff exterior but a caring nature, this woman felt like she had erected a wall from the very beginning.

The feeling that she held no interest in me was palpable.

＂Here.＂

Beneath a crevice in the rock face lay what she called the "Nest." A single piece of cloth, its origin unknown, lay spread out. That was all.

She extinguished the torch and wriggled under the cloth. The surroundings were desolate, devoid of anything else.

＂The sun enters Demonic Valley once a day. It's the time for roll call. You must be in the Nest then. Missing one day is permissible, but if you're absent for two consecutive days, you'll be marked as deceased. Even if you're alive, a new member will take your place. Then you'll have no place here, and you'll be trapped in this valley forever.＂

＂And the rest of the time...＂

＂That's all I'll tell you. The location of the Nest. Roll call. Don't use the torch. Light is forbidden here. I lit it specifically for you, but private use is prohibited. Don't try to leave Demonic Valley. They will kill you.＂

Her gaze fell away from me.

＂The rest is up to you.＂

She shifted, settling into a seated position and falling asleep.

Amidst her soft snores, I stood up, fingering my sword. Nine Heavens Blood Devil Circulation Arts. I'd heard that I needed to master the first form of these Martial Arts to learn the Nine Heavenly Blood Demon Sword Arts.

So, for now, the sword was merely ornamental. My only reliable weapon was my body.

My stomach growled. I had brought nothing with me; I had been thrown into Demonic Valley completely empty-handed.

I considered waking her but quickly dismissed the thought. Her Qi felt strange. I had a fleeting sense that my entire arm would shatter if I touched her.

Waking her was probably not a good idea. Even if I did, there was no guarantee she would teach me anything.

Hadn't I already heard that most deaths here came at the hands of 'allies'?

First, secure the essentials.

Water and food.

The indispensable necessities.

. . .

Demonic Valley.

The valley's depths were shrouded in darkness, most of it unseen. But not everything was swallowed by the black.

Scattered along a path were Night Light Pearls. Their faint glow illuminated the way to the Nest.

The challenge lay beyond.

I heard signs of life elsewhere. A few figures in black robes brushed past. We occasionally made eye contact, but no words were exchanged.

They all radiated killing intent, palpable even beneath their robes. If malice were visible, it would have been swirling around them like a poisonous mist.

The atmosphere felt like any attempt at conversation would be met with immediate violence. I held my tongue. Even I had enough sense to understand that.

Everyone here saw each other as competition.

Why?

Sunlight pierced the valley. For a fleeting moment, the forms of everything within were revealed. I saw the light sweep past me in the Nest.

＂29th Disciple, 30th Disciple. Confirmed alive.＂

A figure, jotting something down on paper, passed by. I was the 30th Disciple, so the woman beside me must be 29th.

The numbers on our backs were our only identifiers. She rubbed her eyes, sat up, and then, just as I was about to speak, vanished with a whoosh.

The untraceable Ghost Shadow Step. It was as if she had been snuffed out of existence. Perhaps the darkness amplified the effect.

Clutching my empty stomach, I stood. Her departure signaled that I, too, was free to move.

One day.

I had no intention of wasting the single day allotted to me.

As soon as roll call ended, I followed the others as they rushed into the darkness. I could barely see anything, but shapes were vaguely discernible, and my hands occasionally brushed against something.

My first priority was acclimating to the darkness. I strained my eyes, trying to pierce the gloom. But it was futile. I had to rely on the feel of things against my skin.

I stumbled forward. Someone's mocking laughter echoed past.

＂A pathetic one has joined us.＂

＂Can't even see in the dark, can he? Doesn't know how to use his Qi.＂

＂He'll starve to death within three days.＂

Goaded by their words, I tried to draw upon my Qi. But I failed immediately.

The Thousand Veils resisted, sending waves of agonizing pain through me.

I choked back a scream. But a moment later, I stood again.

It's alright. I had simply confirmed one thing I couldn't do.

Now that I knew, I wouldn't repeat the same mistake.

I sensed movement nearby and groped my way towards it. Something brushed against my forehead. I flinched, but then realized it was the leaf of a plant.

＂...Is anyone there?＂

The presence flinched. It seemed to stare at me for a moment before retreating. This happened several times. Some even threatened me.

＂What's here is mine. Come closer, and I'll kill you.＂

＂...What do you have there?＂

＂I won't warn you twice.＂

No one answered my questions directly. I had to survive on my own.

I felt around on the ground. My damp fingers closed around something. I stumbled back to the nearest Night Light Pearl to examine my find. It was moss.

My first night's meal was strangely colored moss. It tasted odd and reeked of decay, but I had no other choice.

Chewing the moss, I recalled the Heavenly Demon.

How long would I have to endure this place to become like her?

I reassured myself. I had found one thing; tomorrow, I would find two.

Keep moving. Don't succumb to despair.

This was different from the days when I merely existed.

Now, I was living by my own will.

. . .

29th pulled the cloth over herself.

A meager shield against the Yin Qi. It wasn't particularly effective. Still, it was better than nothing.

It wasn't simply about warding off the cold. Having something draped over her body helped suppress the memories that clawed at her from deep within.

When I leave this place, I will sleep beneath the warmest blankets.

So that all the cold can melt away.

29th glanced to the side. The other half of the Nest was empty. The 30th Disciple hadn't returned, even though roll call was approaching.

He was weak from the start. No Qi to speak of, and his movements were clumsy.

Driven by hunger, he probably wandered too deep into the Demonic Valley. The inner reaches were hell for novices. He likely succumbed to the Poison and died.

29th turned away. His circumstances were irrelevant. No one in the Blood Demon Corps within Demonic Valley cared about anyone else.

This was a place where simply maintaining one's own existence was a struggle. Survival demanded strength, and greater strength meant venturing deeper into Demonic Valley.

Otherwise, one remained trapped here.

The only way to break free from this vicious cycle was to devour stronger Beasts and grow stronger oneself.

＂......＂

If there was a living hell, this was it. 29th fidgeted with her wrist.

She prayed for a mission. Any mission that would allow her a temporary reprieve from this wretched place.

Solve one problem, then another.

Eventually, I will reach the end. Then, perhaps, I can rise above the Blood Demon Corps.

Beyond Demonic Valley, to a place with a comfortable home. A warm place where I don't have to tear apart snakes and Beasts alive to survive.

＂.......＂

A light swept across her face. The recorder, always impassive, muttered,

＂29th Disciple confirmed alive. 30th Disciple status uncertain.＂

As roll call concluded, 29th rose. She needed to hone her Sword skills and find food and water.

Water meant searching for small puddles, and the Beasts she hunted began to reek after a day. There were no proper "supplies" here. Survival demanded constant movement.

29th headed deeper into the valley to hunt. The deeper one went, the thicker the Yin Qi and the more oppressive the dampness became, and the stronger the Beasts of Demonic Valley grew.

When all the Beasts I cannot devour are gone from Demonic Valley...

Then I will be able to leave.

This hell.

. . .

After a full day spent in darkness, I began to understand a few things.

Where I heard the sound of water, I found puddles. I couldn't ascertain the quality of the water, but it was enough to wet my lips.

The puddles seemed to be constantly replenished, albeit slowly. Most of those close to the Nest were already claimed by others.

To survive, I had to venture deeper. But the further I went, the more unsettling the sounds became.

Something is in there.

I instinctively moved away from the sounds.

All I could find to eat was moss and water. I occasionally heard the sounds of others tearing into something, but approaching them only resulted in threats.

Food here was limited. And it seemed far less plentiful than the number of people.

That must be why everyone was so hostile.

After a full day of exploration, I realized that quite a few others, like myself, subsisted on moss.

Surprisingly, the moss was nutritious. It was full of impurities, but nothing I couldn't digest.

More importantly, the Thousand Veils...

They reacted strangely to the moss.

The tendrils that had taken root within my blood vessels pulsed in response to the moss, filtering out impurities and expelling toxins.

The Thousand Veils were agonizing, but also useful. Unlike others, who groaned and clutched their stomachs after eating the moss, I experienced no ill effects.

It was as if they refused to acknowledge any Poison weaker than themselves.

Now that I knew I could consume large quantities of moss without consequence, there was only one thing left to do.

Cultivate the Nine Heavens Blood Devil Circulation Arts.

I practiced my punches in a deserted clearing. I kicked trees and occasionally leaped onto their branches.

I diligently practiced Ghost Shadow Step. I also made sure to attend roll call each day.

29th gave me strange looks. As if I were a ghost returned from the dead.

I paid her no mind. I simply focused on what I could do.

My punches began to make a whistling sound. The agonizing pain that wracked my body became more bearable, and my body began to adapt to the first form of the Nine Heavens Blood Devil Circulation Arts.

I still hadn't generated any Qi, but I didn't give up. I hung from branches, constantly striving to adapt to the darkness.

The forms within Demonic Valley slowly began to resolve themselves. Even without Qi, my eyes, now accustomed to the gloom, provided me with more information.

Two months.

A short time, perhaps.

As I hung from a branch, working on my abdominal muscles as usual, a sudden, excruciating pain shot through me. I fell, rolled on the ground for a while, and finally managed to catch my breath after the agonizing spasm subsided.

What was that?—I barely had time to wonder.

I could see something within me, pulsing blackly.

＂...Ah!＂

The Thousand Veils.

They had finally taken root throughout my body. The black, root-like tendrils that now filled my veins had brought me excruciating pain, but they also granted me a gift.

A small, pulsating crimson mass.

More than two months after arriving in Demonic Valley, I was finally able to accumulate Qi through the Nine Heavens Blood Devil Circulation Arts.